Lazio will host Atletico Madrid in their opening Champions League group game on Tuesday. Atleti are regulars in the continent’s premier club competition but were eliminated in the group stage last season. The hosts, however, have returned to the top of Europe for the first time since 2021.
Preview (Lazio vs. Atletico Madrid)
Lazio earned a return to the Champions League after dipping their toes in both the Europa League and third-tier Conference League by edging out many other candidates to finish far behind Italian champions Napoli at the end of the previous season. Lazio has only three points from four Serie A games. They have conceded goals at a rate of nearly two per game going into a highly anticipated Group E campaign. Celtic, Feyenoord and this week’s visitors Atletico Madrid will be their competitors for a top-two finish.
Curiously, the Biancocelesti lost to Lecce and Genoa in back-to-back games before defeating the Scudetto holders in Naples just before the international break. When they returned to action this past weekend, they suffered yet another humiliating loss. A journey to Turin ended in a 3-1 loss for Lazio as Juventus stormed into a two-goal lead before the half-hour mark, and Luis Alberto’s exquisite second-half strike proved only a modest consolation. This came two weeks after summer signing Daichi Kamada scored a deserving winner against Sarri’s previous side Napoli. They must immediately switch their focus to Champions League affairs. They will hope to at least repeat their most recent experience in that competition during the 2020–21 season.
On Tuesday, former Scudetto winner Diego Simeone, who has since been synonymous with Atletico Madrid, will lead the team out at Stadio Olimpico to the delight of the home team’s renowned fans. Although it has been 11 years since these sides faced off, Simeone will still have fond memories of those games. In his first European match, he led Atleti to victory over the team he previously won the Serie A with. Atletico raised the Europa League trophy aloft at the conclusion of that campaign. Despite several audacious attempts, final losses to city rivals Real Madrid in both 2014 and 2016.
Team News
Coach Maurizio Sarri may make some changes to his starting XI on Tuesday because Lazio has all of its players available. This was after playing the same lineup against Napoli and Juventus. As a result, Sarri might play Matteo Guendouzi in central midfield. The summer acquisition from Marseille is vying for his first start. Ciro Immobile leads the host team’s attack from the middle of an attacking trio. It should also include Mattia Zaccagni of Italy and Felipe Anderson of Brazil.
In contrast to their opponents, Atletico are dealing with a lot of injury issues so far this season. Following their Saturday La Liga loss to Valencia, it was revealed that Thomas Lemar may be sidelined for a while after suffering a major Achilles tendon injury. Diego Simeone is also without the holding midfielders Koke and Rodrigo De Paul, thus Pablo Barrios might continue for the visitors. Lazio’s slow start to the new campaign has surprised some. Their porous defense could allow Atletico to steal a crucial away victory on the opening day.
Lazio 1 – 2 Atletico Madrid
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